The Big Bang Theory: 1.16 ‘The Peanut Reaction’ Recap
Original Air Date: May 12, 2008
This episode is all about Leonard’s birthday. When Penny learns his parents raised him without ever giving him a birthday party — they believed in celebrating achievements, not his passage through the birth canal — she becomes determined to throw him one.
Penny’s plans for a surprise party require Sheldon to buy a gift, an act the genius is initially opposed to since he approves of Leonard’s parents’ no-party mindset and respects Leonard’s claims that he doesn’t want a party; Howard to get Leonard out of the apartment long enough for the others to set up; and Rajesh to stay behind in the apartment decorating and greeting guests until the rest of the gang returns.
When Howard stops by, Leonard is determined to stay at home and finish his game of Halo. The only way to lure him out is for Howard, who’s allergic to nuts, to pretend he accidentally ate a peanut. This trick gets Leonard to the hospital, where a nurse refuses to play along with Howard’s game.
Meanwhile, Penny is at the electronics store helping a reluctant Sheldon — who doesn’t understand the concept of picking out and purchasing presents — buy his roommate a gift. He ends up assisting customer after customer after customer when one asks a question, and to encourage him to leave, Penny has to find a real employee to threaten Sheldon with calling security.